Frank Schulz, Global event manager of Volvo

Precisely… corporate efficiency depends on standardising. How much can be standardised in events, where local adaptation is always important?
What we do for a big launch. Instead of developing a global content which we have to sell to each market, what we do is the following: obviously we have objectives before each event, and a post-event analysis of whether the objectives were met and where we can improve. Before we brief the agency, a core group of us talks to local marketing people and we make sure the local inputs are already included in the brief to the agency. Each proposal is therefore far closer to the global concept, but with a local flavour. It is very important to us to do it that way rather than define an event strategy and then adapt it.

You manage events internationally but agencies are local. Is that a problem?
Not really. We try to work most efficiently with local agencies. If we control the content and the messages are absolutely aligned with our strategy, then it is OK.

Will it change tomorrow?
It depends. People say “think global, act local”.It will probably depend on what product you launch.

Each national market organises their own events, do youj get involved in them?
We get involved but we do not handle them. It would be a lot of work… Also, it would not really make sense as the content and way of delivering it is very market-related.

The standardisation or processes you can define are about working process or how to work with procurement.
For global events, we of course handle everything.

Are car launches getting more simple, less show-off? It has been commented recently.
Absolutely. When you do events, you should always balance what is really your objective and what content you have to transmit. Recently we had a can launch in which there was a lot of content in terms of selling arguments, with a lot of motivation. We have to find the balance of creating the right event, in the right timeframe…sometimes, less is more. We need to create the story for the car salesmes and dealers to reply to the customer. It was more motivational training than a big show. The message needs to be delivered in a good way. Sometimes big technique and impressive reveals means money badly spent if the message gets blurred by the show. You want people to come back from the event and tell them “I couldn´t believe the car could do that”. Creating the story and delivering the argumentation in a very experiential way is what we have to do.

Procurement: how do you work with them?
Definitely we work with them, from the first minute we talk to providers. We have specific procurement people for event purchasing, and they are quite expert.

Is the relationship smooth? Are they integrated in your team?
Yes, we work well. It is a dialogue: if you involve them and are transparent, and explain to them your work and show the result, they understand and the relationship is much better. They come to events as often as possible and we make sure they see the results. One thing is to see the numbers and the other one is to see what is done with the numbers.

Communication groups have become a strong player.
It is melting more and more together. I don´t see it as disciplines, but rather as a final result. Events are very integrated with our classical campaigns because the campaign message is still the lead, and then you extract it for your 3D´s. It will all melt together: in a few years you will not see these specific classical communication Vs event agencies: they will all become experiential marketing agencies. Communication agencies will go into events, and event agencies will have to learn more about communication.

The current situation affects all companies. We need to find more efficient solutions.But I think the event side and especially the consumer side events is moving forward much faster than I would have expected a few years ago. But of course we will all need to adjust to the economic downturn.

It is because if you work in a more integrated way, the question is not “should we do an event or an exhibition, or another type of communication”, but “what should we communicate and what is the best media. Communication tools were much more isolated before… When you work integrated with other communication disciplines, the result is much more powerful. This is clearly the future.

Impact measurement: do you do it systematicly?
We systematically define objectives and measure how well we achieve them, year after year, so we have a good knowledge of what works for us. We always get the feedback of our people and of the guests, in surveys.

But we are starting to move to ROI, incorporating elements of cost into it. But we are very early in this process.